2009 Subaru Legacy Sedan and Outback Wagon

Whats new, highlights, and safety info for the 2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback.

Subaru’s Legacy and Outback are largely identical, but the Legacy is a sedan and the Outback wears station-wagon sheetmetal. Beyond the wagon body, though, the Outback earns its adventurous name with some three additional inches of ground clearance.

Station wagons at a middle-income price point are rare. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Volvo all sell wagons in the U.S., but they all carry a pricing premium. Plenty of five-door hatches flood the market, but the only competition for the Outback in the low-$20,000 wagon sector is the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. Subaru also sells an Outback Sport, but that model is based on the smaller Impreza hatchback.

As on all current Subarus, all-wheel drive is standard, as is the associated fuel penalty. Although similarly powerful to competitive vehicles, the Legacy and the Outback max out at 20 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway, a function of the higher mechanical resistance inherent in all-wheel-drive systems.

Although four driven wheels are a given, powertrain choices facing potential Legacy and Outback buyers are nonetheless daunting. Available engines are naturally aspirated and turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-fours with 170 and 243 hp, respectively, and a 3.0-liter flat-six that produces 245 hp. Transmission options with the naturally aspirated four are a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual; those opting for the more powerful turbo four can select a five-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. The higher-performance Legacy 2.5GT spec.B gets a six-speed manual. Go with the 3.0-liter boxer-six, and your only transmission choice is the five-speed automatic.

Verdict

Both the Legacy and the Outback are inoffensively handsome inside and out, with their attractiveness only enhanced by their rarity relative to others in their segments. Pricing starts at a competitive level, but adding options gets expensive, likely contributing to their smaller sales numbers. They are immensely popular in more volatile climates, where their all-wheel drive—and the Outback’s additional ground clearance—makes them a practical and more maneuverable alternative to SUVs and crossovers.

With the turbocharged 2.5-liter’s 243 hp, the Legacy GT and the Outback 2.5XT are genuinely fun to drive, delivering a linear, powerful rush of acceleration coupled with sharp steering and athletic body control. They trump the 3.0’s torque output and deliver better fuel economy to boot, making the 3.0R a conveyance for ignorant social posturing.

After a restyling in 2008, the Legacy and the Outback carry over into 2009 largely unchanged. Stability and traction control are now standard across the line, and a nine-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system is standard on all but the most basic models. The 3.0R Limited was introduced as a flagship in 2008, and the new-for-2009 3.0R cuts a lot of the luxury equipment and about $3300 from the price, making the six-cylinder engine available to more customers.

Highlights and Recommendations

Stand-alone options on the Legacy and Outback are few, with the majority of optional equipment coming bundled in progressive trim levels. Upgrading to an automatic transmission costs $1000 with naturally aspirated engines and $1500 with the turbo four. Individual options include satellite radio, a remote starter on models equipped with the automatic, a short-throw shifter, a Momo shift knob, and metal pedals.

Trim levels start with the 2.5i at less than $22,000 for a Legacy and about $23,000 for the Outback and build toward the Legacy spec.B with navigation and the Outback XT with nav at upward of $35,000. Equipment included on the sedan and wagon at each step is largely parallel, with the few differences tilting the sedan more toward the sporting end of the scale. Base 2.5i models are indeed basic but still include a tilting and telescoping steering column, tire-pressure monitors, power locks and windows, and dual front, front-side, and front and rear curtain airbags.

The Special Edition (about $22,000 for the Legacy, $25,000 for an Outback) adds a sunroof, an eight-way power driver’s seat, and the nine-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo. Outback Special Editions include heated driver and passenger seats.

One step up from the Special Edition is the Limited, which is only available with an automatic transmission. Pricing starts at less than $26,000 for the Legacy and near $29,000 for the Outback. Upgrades include an in-dash six-CD changer, leather trim on the parking-brake lever and shifter, heated front seats for the Legacy, and dual power sunroofs on the Outback.

Above that are the Legacy 2.5GT Limited and the Outback XT Limited. The Legacy starts below $30,000, the Outback just above $32,000. This is where the turbocharged 2.5-liter enters, and the automatic transmission option increases from $1000 for a four-speed to $1500 for a five-speed. On the Legacy, the automatic includes paddle shifters and rev-matching downshifts, but the Outback does without. Additional equipment for the Legacy includes a quicker steering ratio, a four-way power front passenger’s seat, a butch hood scoop, larger brakes, and Subaru’s adjustable SI-DRIVE drivetrain control. SI-DRIVE allows the driver to select three different throttle- and transmission-control maps using a rotary knob on the center console or a switch on the steering wheel. Upgrading to include a navigation system raises the Legacy’s price to just over $33,000 and the Outback’s to almost $35,000. Neither car offers a manual transmission with a navigation system at this trim level.

The Legacy line inserts a 2.5GT spec.B here, which includes the navigation system and upgrades to a six-speed manual, a Torsen limited-slip rear differential, aluminum suspension components front and rear, Bilstein front struts, larger brakes, and 18-inch wheels with high-performance summer tires. Inside, the spec.B gets titanium-look trim and aluminum pedals. With our long-term Legacy 2.5GT, we found that we could actually better the spec.B’s performance on our own for less money.

From here, Subaru moves into six-cylinder territory with the 3.0R. The Legacy is available as a 3.0R ($27,000) or 3.0R Limited (nearly $31,000, or $33,000 with nav), but the six-cylinder Outback comes only as a fully loaded 3.0R Limited ($33,000, or $35,000 with nav). There is no significant addition of standard equipment and no real reason to buy the 3.0R, as it is thirstier and has less torque than the 2.5GT.

The Legacy and the Outback top out with the 3.0R Limited. On the Legacy, this includes SI-DRIVE and the suspension goodies from the spec.B, but without the six-speed manual transmission. The Outback 3.0R Limited is really just the engine upgrade—which we consider a downgrade.

Safety

All-wheel drive is of course standard on all versions of the Legacy and Outback, as are anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and driver and passenger front and side airbags, as well as front and rear curtain airbags. There is no optional safety equipment.

Model Research

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